In 1943, The African-American 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion was formed. The “Triple Nickles” -as they spelled it- were the first black paratroopers in the segregated US Army during World War II.

In 1944- 1945, Japan launched incendiary balloon bombs across the Pacific to set US west coast forests ablaze and cause civilian panic. In May 1945, the military ordered the 555th on a classified mission, “Operation Firefly,” to counter this threat, and 300 “Triple Nickles” arrived by train only a few blocks from this street corner. They trained with Army Ordnance personnel and US Forest Service “smokejumpers” in bomb disposal and wildland firefighting. That summer, the 555th jumped on 15 fires and fought at least 28.

In October 1945, the “Triple Nickles” returned to their home base at Fort Bragg, North Carolina where they soon were assigned to the previously all-white 82nd Airborne Division under the command of General James Gavin.

Caption 1: “All was not work”
“on 4th of July we staged demonstration jumps for the local populace. We saw the famous Pendleton Rodeo…I learned to fly from two grand guys, Pat Stubbs and Farley Stewart. We went to movies and took time to hunt and fish.” – Bradley Biggs, Lt. Col. USA (Ret.)

Caption 2: “I was standing in the open door of our C-47 transport plane, flying at an altitude of 1500 feet and 150 miles per hour. ‘Why,’ I asked,’was I standing here on my way to a dangerous mission that could possibly get me and my men killed? Why would I die for a country that thought so little of me and my people?'” – Lt. Walter Morris

Caption 3: Pendleton Segregation in the 1940s
“The reception was cold. We could not eat in any one of the restaurants… Only two bars would serve us anything. We could not go into the hotel- they refused to give us a room…Hotels in town would not serve us. The people there, ‘were living in the Northwest but with a southern attitude.'” – Bradley Biggs, Lt. Col. USA (Ret.)

Caption 4:
Many of the first volunteers for the 555th cam from the 92nd Infantry Division (nicknamed Buffalo Soldiers). The name “Triple Nickles” symbolizes a combination of the Buffalo Division, the pre-WWII era “Buffalo Nickels,” and the 555th unit number.

Installed by the Oregon Travel Information Council with support from Umatilla County, Travel Pendleton, Pendleton Underground Tours, and the 555th Parachute Infantry Association.

Rest Area Technicians are fill-in employees who are not scheduled to work regular hours, but are available to perform fill-in work as needed; rest areas are staffed every day of the year, and fill-in employees are frequently scheduled to work weekends and holidays. While technicians are hired for a specific rest area location, TIC management may request that they work at other rest areas depending on business needs and the technician’s availability.

On Friday, October 19, 2018, the Oregon Heritage Tree Program dedicated the GeerCrest Orchard as new Oregon Heritage Trees in Salem.

The year 1837 saw the beginnings of mass immigration to the Willamette Valley from the Eastern United States. The Willamette Valley, described to Americans in the East as an “Eden of the West,” had been shaped by millennia of active land management by a diverse native population including the Kalapuyan, Molallan and Chinookan. The area – still within sovereign Native nations – proved enticing to immigrants hoping to settle on land in a conducive climate. These immigrants were mainly retired fur trappers and traders and farmers, but were soon followed by tradesmen, merchants, and professionals.

A nurseryman from Illinois named Ralph Geer traveled the Oregon Trail in 1847. He brought with him a bushel of apple seeds and half-bushel of pear seeds. He met and befriended Henderson Luelling, who carried two wagon loads of growing fruit trees from Indiana. Geer praised Luelling for his “Traveling Nursery.” Geer said, “That load [brought by Luelling] of living trees and shrubs brought more wealth to Oregon than any ship ever entered the Columbia river.”

With their combined seeds, trees, and techniques, the two men founded the non-native nursery and fruit industry in Oregon. Luelling planted his trees on his donation land claim just south of Portland in Milwaukie and traded with Geer for rootstocks, enabling success through their cooperation. By 1852, Geer advertised 66 varieties of apple trees, 15 varieties of pear trees and assorted peach, cherry, plum, nectarine and almond trees for sale in the Oregon Statesman newspaper. The economic boom resulting from the California Gold Rush created a rich market for both trees and fruit.

Today, the Geer farm east of Salem still has trees growing from the original plantings. GeerCrest Farm is now managed by the nonprofit GeerCrest Farm & Historical Society, Inc. Their mission is both preservation of history and farm-life education for children. The farm has two buildings on the National Register: the 1880 stone fruit cellar and the 1851 farmhouse, which is the oldest residence in Oregon that remains in the original family. Standing near the farmhouse is a grove of fruit and nut trees that date back to the beginning of the Geer homestead. In recognition of the early non-Native Oregon nurserymen and fruit growers, the Oregon Heritage Tree Program welcomes these venerable trees into the 2018 class of Oregon Heritage Trees.

On Friday, July 13, 2018, the Oregon Heritage Tree Program dedicated the Yang Madrone as a new heritage tree in Corvallis, Oregon.

The large Pacific Madrone tree overlooking the Yang house was planted by Hoya Yang to complement the house his wife, Edith Yang, designed. In 1954, Edith became the first female minority architect licensed in Oregon. She designed many buildings in the area and started the Corvallis street tree program. Hoya was a prominent food scientist who was influential in the beginnings of the Oregon wine industry and the development of the maraschino cherry.

“Our neighbors admire the tree. Five smaller madrones keep it company, but it is definitely king of the yard,” say John and Gail Wolcott, current owners of the Yang Madrone. “And the fascinating couple, Hoya and Edith Yang, who designed and built the unique house, planted this beautiful tree and made many other contributions to our community, have well earned a place in the memorials of Oregon.”

The Yang Madrone was designated a Corvallis Benton County Heritage Tree in 2016 and was accepted into the state heritage tree program this year. The tree is 23 feet in circumference, 68 feet high, with a crown spread of about 75 feet. It is said by the Corvallis City Forester to be the largest madrone in Corvallis, and the second-largest madrone in Benton County; the largest being in an inaccessible rural area. Today, the population of Pacific Madrones is dwindling due to diseases and urbanization. Madrones are not usually found in urban settings like the Yang Madrone, because they are extremely difficult to transplant, and often do not withstand disturbance of the soil around their roots.

The tree is located 20 feet from the public sidewalk at 1020 30th St., Corvallis, Oregon.

Location: GeerCrest Farm, Salem, OregonSpecies: Varied, including 24 pear trees, four plum trees, one apple, one Hawthorn tree, one butternut tree, and one hickory treeDate Planted: approx. 1847
The year 1837 saw the beginnings of mass immigration to the Willamette Valley from the Eastern United States. The Willamette Valley, described to Americans in the East as an “Eden of the West,” had been shaped by millennia of active land management by a diverse native population including the Kalapuyan, Molallan and Chinookan. The area – still within sovereign Native nations – proved enticing to immigrants hoping to settle on land in a conducive climate. These immigrants were mainly retired fur trappers and traders and farmers, but were soon followed by tradesmen, merchants, and professionals.

A nurseryman from Illinois named Ralph Geer traveled the Oregon Trail in 1847. He brought with him a bushel of apple seeds and half-bushel of pear seeds. He met and befriended Henderson Luelling, who carried two wagon loads of growing fruit trees from Indiana. Geer praised Luelling for his “Traveling Nursery.” Geer said, “That load [brought by Luelling] of living trees and shrubs brought more wealth to Oregon than any ship ever entered the Columbia river.”

With their combined seeds, trees, and techniques, the two men founded the non-native nursery and fruit industry in Oregon. Luelling planted his trees on his donation land claim just south of Portland in Milwaukie and traded with Geer for rootstocks, enabling success through their cooperation. By 1852, Geer advertised 66 varieties of apple trees, 15 varieties of pear trees and assorted peach, cherry, plum, nectarine and almond trees for sale in the Oregon Statesman newspaper. The economic boom resulting from the California Gold Rush created a rich market for both trees and fruit.

Today, the Geer farm east of Salem still has trees growing from the original plantings. GeerCrest Farm is now managed by the nonprofit GeerCrest Farm & Historical Society, Inc. Their mission is both preservation of history and farm-life education for children. The farm has two buildings on the National Register: the 1880 stone fruit cellar and the 1851 farmhouse, which is the oldest residence in Oregon that remains in the original family.

Standing near the farmhouse is a grove of fruit and nut trees that date back to the beginning of the Geer homestead. In recognition of the early non-Native Oregon nurserymen and fruit growers, the Oregon Heritage Tree Program welcomes these venerable trees into the 2018 class of Oregon Heritage Trees.

The large Pacific madrone tree overlooking the Yang house was designated a City of Corvallis Heritage Tree in 2016. It is said by the Corvallis City forester to be the largest madrone in Corvallis, and the second largest madrone in Benton County; the largest being in an inaccessible rural area.

The tree is located at a house designed and built in 1950 by Corvallis architect Edith Yang as the personal residence for herself and her husband, Professor Hoya Yang, Ph.D. Their home, in the style advocated by Frank Lloyd Wright, was designed with the intention of opening up interior spaces and bringing the outdoors in. Mid-century houses utilized then-groundbreaking post and beam architectural design that eliminated bulky support walls in favor of walls seemingly made of glass, which made the landscaping integral to the design.

The Yang Madrone and other nearby madrones were planted circa 1950 by Hoya in their yard, designed to complement the new Mid-Century Modern home his wife had designed.

Edith Leong Yang 1918-2012:

Edith received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Oregon and Master of Science degree from Oregon State University, before getting her Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Oregon in 1950. She then worked for three architects in Portland and Corvallis to gain professional experience. She was licensed as an architect in 1954, the first licensed female minority architect in Oregon.

Following her own architectural practice, Edith served from 1979 to 1991 as staff architect for the Oregon State University physical plant. Buildings she designed include a six-story office building in Alaska, the OSU Chi Phi Fraternity House, the popular Big O Restaurant in downtown Corvallis, the Corvallis Unitarian Church, the Oregon State University Seed Lab Building and other commercial and residential buildings.

Edith was the Theta Sigma Phi 1970 Woman of Achievement, President of the Arts in Oregon Council, Chair of the Corvallis Arts Center, Board member of the Southwest Oregon American Institute of Architects, and Charter member of Citizens for Corvallis. As Chair of the Zonta Club in 1962, she initiated the Corvallis city program of street tree planting, and was active in the city’s waterfront beautification program. She donated in-kind services to the planning of the 170-acre Whispering Winds Girl Scout camp, and for five years was a member of the Linn Benton Housing Authority.

Hoya Yang, 1912-1998:

Hoya Yang was born in 1912, and came to America from Amoy, China, in 1938. From a Chinese food processing family, he had been sent here to study American food production and processing at the University of California in Berkeley, California, with the expectation of returning home. The Japanese invasion of China ended that plan, and he remained. He attended Oregon State College, receiving a PhD in Food Science and Technology, and becoming Associate Professor attached to the University’s Agricultural Experiment Station. Hoya was later appointed full professor, and Professor Emeritus of Food Science and Technology at the University.

Hoya was an early advocate of the Oregon wine industry. His articles were published in the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture and his booklet Oregon Grapes for Oregon Wines was published by the University in 1959. He was one of the first speakers at the newly organized Oregon Wine Growers Association in 1969, and for many years was the official wine taster at the Oregon State Fair. Hoya also worked with Ernest Weigand on the perfection of the Maraschino cherry. Hoya was known in his neighborhood for the park-like grounds he had planted around his home and maintained until his death in 1998 at age 86.

An Important Oregon Native

The Pacific madrone is an iconic Pacific Northwest tree. Madrone trees love the sun — they will twist and turn to find it if a competing tree tries to outgrow it. In the early Spring, it abounds with white blossoms and during the summer months it sheds its reddish-brown skin, and underneath the younger yellowish-green wood will turn a deep mahogany red during the winter months. Older trees do not peel all the way down to the ground. The bark stays and gives the madrone it’s shredded look. In the forest, it is more resistant to fire than surrounding trees and re-sprouts quickly, acting as a nurse tree during forest regeneration. Madrones are wind and drought tolerant due to their deeply penetrating root system. They attract many types of wildlife throughout the year. Bees pollinate them in the spring, and birds choose their oddly shaped tree cavities to make their nests. Birds and squirrels eat the red berries in the fall.

Today, the population of Pacific madrones is dwindling due to diseases and urbanization. Madrones are not usually found in urban settings like the Yang Madrone, because they are extremely difficult to transplant, and often do not withstand disturbance of the soil around their roots.

The McCall Magnolia was planted in 1890 in front of the renowned home of John M. and Mary Elizabeth McCall in memory of John’s daughter Elsie, who died in 1890. While a Southern Magnolia’s life span can be greater than 100 years, it is rare that this species can thrive in this climate for so many years. Recent photos show it towering over the grand home built by the McCall family in 1883. The McCall House still contains some of the original family furnishings and is a popular Ashland bed and breakfast inn.

John was a founder of multiple business enterprises and served in many public service capacities including as Councilman and Mayor of Ashland, member of the Oregon State Legislature (1876), a Captain in the First Oregon Cavalry (1861), and Brigadier General of the Oregon State Militia (1865). Originally from Pennsylvania, he came to Oregon in 1850, prior to statehood.

John began as a gold prospector but, realizing an opportunity, started offering wares and services to fellow miners, establishing the Ashland Mercantile. This was followed by various enterprises including the Ashland Woolen Mills, Bank of Ashland, Ashland Library, and the local newspaper, Ashland Daily Tidings, which is still published today. As Ashland’s mayor, John was instrumental in ensuring the railroad came to Ashland rather than Klamath Falls. He built his new home in sight of the railroad station, where it became the center of hospitality in Ashland.

Married in 1868, John’s first wife Theresa Applegate was the mother of his children. She was from a prominent pioneer family whose vast holdings inspired the naming of the lush and productive Applegate Valley, which encompasses miles of Southern Oregon farmland. Stretching from Medford to Grants Pass, the region is now known for its superior wine production. Additionally, beginning in 1846, many settlers coming to the Rogue Valley and Willamette Valley traversed the Applegate Trail, named for members of Theresa’s family.

After Theresa’s death in 1875, John married Mary Elizabeth “Lizzie” Anderson in 1876. She had traveled by oxcart from Missouri and became a local teacher, and was the adoptive mother of her niece, Anna. After their marriage, Lizzie parented John’s children including Elise, for whom the magnolia was planted.

Lizzie continued an interesting life after John’s death in 1896. She became postmistress of Ashland and the first telegraph operator in Southern Oregon. She ran both the post office and telegraph office out of the front parlor of the McCall House, keeping watch over the growing magnolia tree. She was an active suffragette until her death in 1912.

Joel Perkins was 23 years old when he and several relatives traveled the Oregon Trail from Indiana in 1844. He quickly settled a land claim and, in December 1846, established the town of Lafayette, which the Oregon Provisional Government recognized as Yamhill County’s first county seat. Perkins made himself the town’s clerk, and when he officially platted it in 1849, he donated a full block to be used as the “public square.”

Naming Lafayette
Perkins chose the same name as his home in Indiana, which was named after General Lafayette, a popular Revolutionary War hero. According to family tradition, his grandfather served under General Lafayette.

Gold Rush Opportunities
During the Gold Rush of 1848, Perkins traveled to California and established a trading post to supply miners. On returning to Lafayette, he married 15-year-old Laura Hawn, and together they went to California, where she bore two children. On a return trip to Lafayette in 1856, Perkins was murdered in southern Oregon.

Yamhill County’s Oldest City Park
The public square is now known as “Joel Perkins Park” and has been a gathering place for Lafayette citizens at least since 1850, when the “square of Lafayette” was the starting point for a Fourth of July parade.

Caption:
A parade headed by the Lafayette band and containing a Goddess of Liberty car and numerous elaborately-decorated vehicles, beside several feature floats— marched to the public square,
where exercises were held.”
“Day Observed At Lafayette,”
The Morning Oregonian, July 6, 1911